• Everton manager says his job is to keep pressure off players• Brighton’s Chris Hughton to discipline sent off Anthony Knockaert

Sam Allardyce has claimed he would have struggled to cope with the pressure on Premier League managers when he was younger and blamed inflated transfer fees for increasing demands among supporters.

The Everton manager was spared a hostile reception at Goodison Park on Saturday as his team produced an encouraging display and comfortable 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion. The January signing Cenk Tosun and an own goal from Gaëtan Bong gave Everton their ninth home league win of the season – equalling their number of away defeats – as Chris Hughton’s side, reduced to 10 men when Anthony Knockaert received a straight red card for an idiotic challenge on Leighton Baines, endured their first defeat in eight games.